Sandia Pueblo is warning participants in the upcoming Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta not to land in certain areas of the reservation.

The tribe says the main village, the casino, a reclamation area, an old airport and a buffalo pasture are off limits. Any balloon pilot who lands there may face a $500 fine.

The tribe is a sponsor of the internationally known balloon fiesta and says most of its 22,000-acre reservation is open for landing. Some pilots say they can't control where their balloons go.

"If we had steering wheels, we'd love to be able to not land there and be able to control that," one pilot told The Albuquerque Journal. "But seeing as how we're kind of at the graces of Mother Nature, we go wherever we can relative to what she gives us."

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Some Pueblo Balloon Landings May Cost $500 (The Albuquerque Journal 9/28)
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Relevant Links:
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta - http://www.balloonfiesta.com
Sandia Pueblo - http://www.sandiapueblo.nsn.us